Daily Republican., 1887-02-07


costs urs. Dobson was discharged and
the hired man required to pay costs.
The case, rs may be supposed. caused
considerable feeling against Mr.. ard
Mrs. Hobssn, and they have left moth.
ing undone 10 Get themselves right in
this matter before the public. They
communicated with the managers OF
the Home at Pottsville, from whioh the
girl was obtained, and the result OF
their investigation, as published In the
Daily Republican OF Potisville, is Ms
follows:
annie Umbenhower, who is nov
about IS years Of age, waA placed In the
Ohildren's Home, this city, on the 10Th
| OF May, 1882 On acoount OF disease
aud bad conduct abe was sent 10 the
County Almi house on the 10Th OF June,
1873, the board OF managers finding Il
Impossible TO give her q place Ia n pri.
saCe family. Continuing to have
trouble with her o. yesight, she was
placed In Nh asylum for the blind In
Philadelphia by the board, whsre at
their expense she was supplied with
| clothing and other necessaries urtil the
9th OF February, 1885, when che was re
| celved to the Home on account OF dis.
position for piifefing.
On the 3lst OF March, 1888, the board
suc seeded In getting Lawrence Hobson
Of Mt Cuba, Del, TO take her on trial
tho place being recommended by Mrs.
II p. YeatmAn OF Norway, Chester
County, Pa, who ia . very estimsble
aiy, and with whom j. A. M. Pass
more, Esq, . former member Of the
board, 10 well acquainted. The mana
gers had previously . girl with the
sane family who had been out ON trial
wo different times, and was sent back
10 the Home. This girl is still living
With the Hobsons, and under their care
land instTuc ction has become q very nice
young lady.
The ruie Of the Home is TO indenturo
chlldren after they have been on trial
iour weeks, II both parties are satisfed
out the Hobsons would never siSn In
icnturs papers for Annie Umbenhower
ln account of her bad conduc from the
time she was frst with them. Imme
on,eiy after the article publis he'd In
be l,EPuBLICAN rome time ago rela.
live 70 the bad treatment OF the girl,
", X. Woodbury., Esq, chairman Of
)ommittee on Admissions and Dismis-
lsiDus, communicated with all the par
lies mentioned as having anything 10
10 with the case. namely, DIR. O2ie, on
whose opinion she had been committed
% the insane ASYLUM ct Wilmington,
Dol DR.. j. 7. Pyle, physician to that
as,itution; Justice j. w. Vsndegriit.
lefore whom the case was tried; Mrs.
l. p. Yeatman and the Hobson family
relative to the charges.
l AS the result of thiHinvestig stion
Mr., Woodbury. says that the child bears
marks and bruises upon her person,
many OF which are hard TO explain, and
u tbs child's stories are to be believed
hese would indicste that she had bee
very badly treated; but from the report
Of Mrs. Yeatman, who visited the asy.
um and examined the injuries, and
also vlfited the Hobsons and obtained
heir version of the diff snlties, the fol
10 wing facts appear. The marks and
bruises on the child's body were CAUSED
5y falls and blows, which she received
rom coming Ia contact with objecia
which she could not distinguish dis
tinctly by reason of defective eyesight.
Two soreB were the result OF fall on
the ice and q burn received from .
stove, and the latter injury was dressad
and tended by Mrs Hobson herself.
The discoloration on the neck IL 10 v
icwn on the collar bone. proving con
oluslvely that II was not the result OF
beins strung up with rope as wac
charged. The Hobsons did not punish
the child until she stole jeweiry and
money from frieDds who were visiting
tho N. aud only then in order to make
her tell the place OF concealment
Then followed ths taking OF jolly
and fruit in large quantities, and de
Istroy ing tho jars, the drinking OF
molasses like water, the eating OF eight
pounds Of sugar in . week, the putting
OF Goa, oil and rat poison Into Rroun nd
coffee, and other annoying tricks.
Even then she was not punished
tseverely until she kicked and injured
Mrs. Hobson, the marks of which shs
bears this day. Then she made three
Idifierent attempts to burn the house,
after which, on application to have hei
sent TO New Castle County jail, she
was declared insane by local physi
clan and consigned to the State asy lum
although DIR. Pyle, ply sician of that In
stitotion, can find no trace OF insanity
hbout her. Mr.. Woodbury. believes AT
the result Of his ipvestig cation, that the
child Was never punished, except with
iciotaina on; that sne never haA rope
placed about her paok; shat she wst
never punished ut the barn, and thai
the hobsons have never had q whip
such as was referred to in tho charge
made. All good people will rejoice 3,
tne outcome OF the Investigation, and
stnat this charitable family have had
oll Justice done them, II that 10 posi-
Die, afar their kindness to aud trouble
with the child"
Ihe following from Tho Daily Min
ers. JourpaI OF Pottsville, of JanuAry
tzSth, gives the same version OF tn,
lamar: "A short time ago the Jourpa
puDlishsd nn account of ihs cruel beat
ing OF Annie Uubenhower, U . girl in
len'ured by the Pottsvilie Home Il
Laurence Hobson of Mt. O aba near VIII
mlngton. Del. The account was sen
oui oy Correspondent to ut Wilmington
*no gave q heartrending description ol
tpe cruelties inflicted upon tho girl b,
ner new parents. Mr.. Woodbury., on
ssmanagers ofthe Home, was direc!
% 10 Investigate the matter which b.
ulo. BY letters received from lfllcia
authorities, and from the Hobsons, 1
tsppeafs that the story as published WA
hfossy exaggerated statement of tn
tacii. Annie bad been aeversiy whip
ped, hut sts had not beer tied 10 DOS
, the beating"
An investigation Of tie caussa O
70 whipping shows that Annie was al
ere nay bnd girl and needed disoip
me of very severe character. The cir
"'s Ia the asbit of stealing every him